The invention relates generally to identification systems for cable leads or catheters, and more particularly to identification systems that enable the cable leads or catheters to be specifically identified by and correlated to the visual representation of the signal from the catheter on the display of the electrophysiological (EP) or other recording or mapping device or system to which the catheters are connected during studies or monitoring of patients.
Catheters are used in an increasing number of medical procedures to evaluate various conditions of the patient with which the catheter is utilized. While many different numbers and/or configurations of catheters can be utilized for a particular procedure, for each procedure all of the catheters in use must be properly connected to the recording or mapping device such that the signals received from or sent to a particular catheter are correctly identified and displayed by the recording or mapping device.
To identify the particular catheter to the associated recording or mapping device, the catheters are connected to an input module, such as a pin box or other suitable connector, used with the recording or mapping device. Each catheter is connected to a specific location or port on the pin box that corresponds to a particular location in the patient at which the catheter is positioned during the performance of the procedure. This location or port is additionally associated with a particular signal display on the a screen of the recording or mapping device, such that during the procedure signals received from or sent to the catheter at that port are illustrated on the display in the field corresponding to that port.
During initial set up and connection of the catheters to perform a procedure, on many occasions one or more catheters can be inadvertently connected to the incorrect ports, such that incorrect signals are represented on the display viewed by the clinician. This results at least in requiring the clinician or other individual to check the catheter connections for the incorrect connection, but can also result in a misdiagnosis of a patient on which the procedure is being performed. Further, in a situation where the catheter is defective and providing a faulty or no signal, if the catheter is incorrectly placed in the pin box, the determination of the faulty electrode, bad lead, and/or unintended disconnect is relatively straightforward with basic physiological instrumentation using a single catheter. However, this challenge increases exponentially with complex patient studies such as performed in cardiac electrophysiology where catheter/lead sets of up to 250+ individual catheters are possible, such as when using complex mapping catheters, for example, that can include up to seven (7) separate input modules, connectors or pin boxes, each with up to thirty-two (32) separate ports thereon. In these situations, the incorrect placement of a catheter that is functioning incorrectly can result in a misdiagnosis of the patient.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop an identification system and method for the proper association of a catheter to a display of signals sent to or received from the catheter on a mapping or recording system to which the catheter is connected for use in a medical procedure. The identification system should allow an easy and readily observable identification of the catheter at the input connection corresponding to the signal display on the system.